Dean Smith - Confirmed

[PeterWithesShin]

Suliman is 21 soon and has done nothing in his club career. He's out on loan at FC Emmen and has played about 10 minutes first team football for them. Last season he played an hour for Grimsby.

[john e]

The defence aside (which should have had Elphick, De Laet and another left back in it), I think the rest of the squad is pretty decent but there's room for improvement like with every squad.

I think for money we've spent since dropping down its a very poor show

[dave.woodhall]

Suliman is 21 soon and has done nothing in his club career. He's out on loan at FC Emmen and has played about 10 minutes first team football for them. Last season he played an hour for Grimsby.

He got recalled a couple of days ago. He'd played ten minutes for them and it was mutually agreed that it was a waste of time him being there.

[PeterWithesShin]

Suliman is 21 soon and has done nothing in his club career. He's out on loan at FC Emmen and has played about 10 minutes first team football for them. Last season he played an hour for Grimsby.

He got recalled a couple of days ago. He'd played ten minutes for them and it was mutually agreed that it was a waste of time him being there.

So they didn't pay a loan fee for him then.

[Brassneck]

Without a defense you don’t have a balanced squad

Call me old fashioned but last time I watched the team, we played with 4 defenders.

Clampy is stating (correctly) that the squad is not disjointed but needs improving.

If you call that disjointed, I'd love to hear your opinion of Preston's squad for Saturday, or most Championship sides for that matter, league leaders Leeds included.

Elphick (a so called "squad player") would and has started for 2 different Championship sides whilst being loaned out by us.  How many other sides in this division could claim that?  People need to take stock of where we are and stop thinking that we should automatically have 2 experienced pros for every position.  The problem is, we've been spoiled and now people expect it as a given.  If we are able to boast such a luxury

Yes. Three of them were right backs, two of whom were playing out of their favoured position 

Quite apart from the 5 right backs and 1 left back plus lack of cover at centre back:
-  a loaned goalkeeper who doesn't make the bench as part of now 6 goalkeepers who could be considered for at least the first team squad
- 5 wingers including Green but no effective cover for Grealish or Abraham.
- two of our highest earners are McCormack and Richards who will likely never kick a ball for us again.

The definition of disjointed.

If you think that is disjointed, I'd love to hear your opinion on Preston's squad on Saturday - Or any other Championship side for that matter, Leeds included.

We are in the Championship and people need to understand this.  It is not the norm to have 2 experienced pros to every position down here.  Leeds aren't moaning, Cardiff didn't moan last season nor Huddersfield the season before.  Have a look at any top 6 team and look at their bench and beyond.  The problem is, we've been spoiled and now expect it. 

[PeterWithesShin]

It is the norm to have more than 1 left back and 2 CB though, especially when you've spent as much as we have. Preston were fecked with injuries on Saturday, at full strength we still only have 1 left back and 2 CB. Bromsgrove Sporting have more CB in their squad than we do.

[SheffieldVillain]

Without a defense you don’t have a balanced squad

Call me old fashioned but last time I watched the team, we played with 4 defenders.

Clampy is stating (correctly) that the squad is not disjointed but needs improving.

If you call that disjointed, I'd love to hear your opinion of Preston's squad for Saturday, or most Championship sides for that matter, league leaders Leeds included.

Elphick (a so called "squad player") would and has started for 2 different Championship sides whilst being loaned out by us.  How many other sides in this division could claim that?  People need to take stock of where we are and stop thinking that we should automatically have 2 experienced pros for every position.  The problem is, we've been spoiled and now people expect it as a given.  If we are able to boast such a luxury

Yes. Three of them were right backs, two of whom were playing out of their favoured position 

Quite apart from the 5 right backs and 1 left back plus lack of cover at centre back:
-  a loaned goalkeeper who doesn't make the bench as part of now 6 goalkeepers who could be considered for at least the first team squad
- 5 wingers including Green but no effective cover for Grealish or Abraham.
- two of our highest earners are McCormack and Richards who will likely never kick a ball for us again.

The definition of disjointed.

If you think that is disjointed, I'd love to hear your opinion on Preston's squad on Saturday - Or any other Championship side for that matter, Leeds included.

We are in the Championship and people need to understand this.  It is not the norm to have 2 experienced pros to every position down here.  Leeds aren't moaning, Cardiff didn't moan last season nor Huddersfield the season before.  Have a look at any top 6 team and look at their bench and beyond.  The problem is, we've been spoiled and now expect it. 

Unfortunately I'm unable to give you my opinion on Preston's squad, or any other squad in the Championship as I couldn't give a flying fuck about Preston's squad or any other squad in the Championship. I care about whether our transfer policy - spending more money on wages and fees than the vast majority of teams in the league - has given us a balanced squad. It hasn't.

- Whether bringing in a goalkeeper on loan would have been better filling the space with a centre half.
- Whether loaning yet another winger was entirely necessary - again could that space have been better utilised.

We have more than enough players - contrary to most squads in the league - are they distributed well across the positions in the squad?. Nope.

Also, I think you'll find that all posters understand that we are in the Championship.

[Brassneck]

It is the norm to have more than 1 left back and 2 CB though, especially when you've spent as much as we have. Preston were fecked with injuries on Saturday, at full strength we still only have 1 left back and 2 CB. Bromsgrove Sporting have more CB in their squad than we do.

I think we both know that the defence is going to be strengthened in January.

Nobody is claiming the defence is great but (excuse me for having an opinion here), the squad is not disjointed because of the poor defence.  I accept it is weakened but disjointed is the wrong description.

Hutton looked to be decent added cover at LB after his performances there last season but sadly has struggled a bit this time around.  Playing a RB at LB is not the end of the world though, in much the same way that playing Bolasie on his weaker side isn't and I'd wager that Hutton would get into many Championship sides at LB.

[Border villan]

It is the norm to have more than 1 left back and 2 CB though, especially when you've spent as much as we have. Preston were fecked with injuries on Saturday, at full strength we still only have 1 left back and 2 CB. Bromsgrove Sporting have more CB in their squad than we do.

I think we both know that the defence is going to be strengthened in January.

Nobody is claiming the defence is great but (excuse me for having an opinion here), the squad is not disjointed because of the poor defence.  I accept it is weakened but disjointed is the wrong description.

Hutton looked to be decent added cover at LB after his performances there last season but sadly has struggled a bit this time around.  Playing a RB at LB is not the end of the world though, in much the same way that playing Bolasie on his weaker side isn't and I'd wager that Hutton would get into many Championship sides at LB.

So if Bolasie was playing on his stronger side would he retain the ball better and chase after the ball when he has just lost it unlike the way he stood around at Preston?

[Clampy]

If Bolasie was playing on his stronger side, he'd be whipping more first time crosses in, which he doesn't tend to do as much on the left.

[Brassneck]

If Bolasie was playing on his stronger side, he'd be whipping more first time crosses in, which he doesn't tend to do as much on the left.

Is the correct answer.

[PeterWithesShin]

Of course we'll strengthen in January, that won't help the previous 4 months of a disjointed squad though which is what was being discussed.
And it is disjointed, it's the very definition of it when you have more keepers than CB and LB combined have and spent nearly all season so far playing defenders either injured or out of position as there's no one else to pick. And no one has said you can't have an opinion but some people will disagree, and some will agree, with you.

[LukeJames]

If Bolasie was playing on his stronger side, he'd be whipping more first time crosses in, which he doesn't tend to do as much on the left.

Bolasies best form of his career came as a left winger for Palace, to be honest I'd say thats his natural position.

[Brassneck]

Of course we'll strengthen in January, that won't help the previous 4 months of a disjointed squad though which is what was being discussed.
And it is disjointed, it's the very definition of it when you have more keepers than CB and LB combined have and spent nearly all season so far playing defenders either injured or out of position as there's no one else to pick. And no one has said you can't have an opinion but some people will disagree, and some will agree, with you.

Hutton was adequate cover as LB.

CB has been a problem since the close of the summer window.  Letting Elphick go and thinking Jedinak was a better option is the root cause but being lightweight in 1 position does not make an entire squad disjointed.

Anyway, we’ve both said our piece (for the second night running) I’m off to see the new year in.  We aren’t going to be influenced by “the bloke on the internet “ are we?

[PeterWithesShin]

I never am.

Happy New Year to you and yours, and to everyone else on the site. Hope you all have a good one.